1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a zinc based coating material which is suitable for use in protecting ferrous surfaces against corrosion and to metal bodies having such a coating. More specifically, the invention can be used, for example, in protecting against corrosion the surface of steel sheets and the inner and outer surfaces of steel pipes. The coating material is in the form of a protective alloy containing zinc, magnesium, aluminum and chromium which gives good resistance to widespread corrosion, to localised corrosion occurring in systems using hot water, to the granular corrosion produced by steam at high temperature and to the corrosion resulting from any inversion in polarity with respect to a steel base layer. The coating alloy of the invention adheres well to the base layer, it has goods continuity features and a shiny and smooth surface.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is common practice to protect ferrous surfaces against a hostile environment by coating them with a protective layer of a non-ferrous metal, for instance by immersing them in a bath of such molten non-ferrous metal. It is also known that the protection given by the coating depends on the following characteristics:
1. good adhesion to the ferrous base, that is to say a minimum number of weak regions in the base metal to coating interface; PA0 2. continuity, i.e., a uniform thickness and good appearance; PA0 3. good resistance to widespread corrosion for the duration of the protection required; PA0 4. good galvanic protection; PA0 5. that it has a minimum susceptibility to inversion in polarity with respect to a ferrous base; PA0 6. that it is stable against localised attacks such as pitting and undershield (or crevice) corrosion; PA0 7. that it is resistant to selective and intergranular corrosion.
Of the many non-ferrous metals used for this purpose, the most common is zinc, both for its relatively low cost and for its position with respect to iron in the electrochemical table of element. So far however, use of the known methods and alloys in providing a zinc coating only affect the problem referred to in the paragraphs numbered 1, 2, 3 and 4 above.
Thus for instance in U.S. Pat. No. 3,393,089 granted to Bethlehem Steel Company, there is described a zinc based protective alloy, containing from 25 to 70% Al for use against widespread corrosion. An alloy described in the British Patent No. 1,125,965, in the name Inland Steel, serves the same purpose and contains from 1 to 4% Mg and from 0.05 to 5% Al, it being clearly stated that the best results are obtained with about 2.5% Mg and about 4.4% Al. It is also expressly stated that such better results refer to protection against widespread corrosion.
In German Patent Application No. 2,146,376, in the name of Fredericia Galvaniseringsanstalt, there is described a process of zinc coating by means of double immersion wherein the second bath contains a zinc alloy containing 5% Al and 4% Cu or 20% Al, 5% Mg and 1% Si. Such coating is stated to be resistant to atmospheric corrosion namely to widespread corrosion. Additionally, in British Patent No. 1,057,285, in the name of Armco Steel Co. there is claimed a coating for protection against widespread corrosion containing from 0.04 to 0.35% Al and from 0.01 to 0.1% Mg, preferably from 0.1 to 0.2 Al and from 0.01 to 0.04% Mg the remainder being zinc and minor impurities. On the other hand there is a recent Czechoslovakian Publication in the name J. Teindl, translated by B.I.S.I. in August 1972 and numbered 10140 in which it is stated that it is a mistake to add magnesium to a bath for zinc coating steel because, when this is done, the coating is fragile and easily comes away from the steel base. There is also a report submitted at the 7th International Galvanizing Conference in Paris in 1964 in the name of J. J. Sebisty in which it is stated that magnesium has no positive effects on the performance of zinc based galvanizing coatings in respect of many types of corrosion.
This being the state of the art, it seemed obvious that there was no point in making any further investigations into zinc based galvanizing coatings containing magnesium.